My birth plan...

[Sam292]

I have written a draft of my birth plan, any suggestions welcome!

My Birth Plan

My intention is to have a natural birth at home in water.

I am hoping not to use any drugs, including gas and air and do not want to be offered them. I would like gas and air available for if I ask for it.

I would like to be left to my own devices as much as possible and for midwifes to be very hands off both during labor and delivery. I will be using a birthing pool for pain relief and hope to keep active before getting in to the pool to keep the labor progressing. Minimal internal checks but fetal monitoring is fine. I do not want my waters to be broken for me. I would prefer not to be spoken to during contractions. I want to avoid episiotomy unless our baby is at risk. If safe I would like to catch my baby and be the first person to touch him, with immediate skin to skin/breast feeding. I do not want the cord to be cut until I have delivered the placenta, which I plan to do without the injection. I would like my husband to be given the chance to cut the cord. If my baby needs resuscitation or assistance I want it to be done next to me, I do not want him to be taken away from me. I would like my baby to receive the vitimin K injection.

If an emergency situation should arise I want to be given all of my options and either myself or my husband if I am unable will make any decisions. If I need to transfer in to hospital I want to be kept fully informed about what is happening, and not separated from my husband under any circumstances. I want to do everything possible to avoid a cesarian section unless my baby or myself is in danger. In the event that I have to have a c-section I would like the sheet low enough down my body that the baby can be placed immediately on my chest when born for skin to skin/breast feeding.

 

[barbarap]

something I see on tv shows is the midwife repeating constantly 'push, push, push' and the husband counting up to 10 during each contraction.
It stresses me so much just seeing it done to someone else, I would definitely punch them in the face if they did it to me and will totally have it in my birth plan.
check out the video below (second one), it's a waterbirth and they didn't break her waters, it's extraordinary to watch.

https://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/online-birth-videos.html

 

[kiwimama]

I agree with barbarap - I was told to "push, push!" last time and hated it. I am making sure this time I am not told to push, as my body will do what it needs to.

 

[Sam292]

Oh i know, i really dont want them to do much at all, let alone shout at me to push. I will add I will push when i feel the urge and do not want to be instructed how to push. Thanks ladies.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Sam292]

And oh my god, i know its silly but i just got so excited when I saw that ive moved in to my final box!!!

 

[stardust599]

Looks good to me.

Just the resusciation part you might want to change though.

The midwifes will bring equipment out for resuscitating your baby and will get you to set up a special "resuscitation area". It has to be on a hard raised surface with enough room for your baby and the equipment - so a kitchen table is best if you are delivering downstairs and perhaps a big chest of drawers in the bedroom if you are upstairs. If you don't have an area available they will sometimes set up a corner in the room where they can do this but I know my sisters midwifes weren't too happy about it and she had to set up the kitchen table.

Depending on where you end up delivering it might not be possible to resuscitate baby in front of you. E.g. if you set up the resus area upstairs but ended up delivering downstairs they wouldn't waste time bringing their equipment down so it can be done in front of you, they'd just whisk baby upstairs and do their job in the quickest and safest way possible.

xxx

 

[Sam292]

Thanks, am planning to give birth in the dining room so they will have the table in there if they need anything.

Anything else Ive missed?